Primary teacher and UNE Diploma of Modern Languages graduate Nicole Kelly first went to Japan at 16 – and has always been struck by the kindness of the Japanese people.
She’s now hoping her upcoming Japanese-themed novel for middle-grade students will inspire more young people to get to know and love the culture and language of Japan.
“I first went to Japan travelling to Hokkaido with my father when I was 16. I studied Japanese at school, and everyone was so kind and encouraging when I tried to speak Japanese, it made me want to learn more,” she says.
It was love at first visit for Nicole, who has returned often since that day.
“I remember travelling with my children, aged seven and nine at the time, when we met an old man on a local bus to Kinkakuji, he started talking to us in Japanese about the snow falling and how beautiful it was. He appreciated that we were able to speak and understand a little Japanese. When he got off he handed us a bag of mandarins, and bowed to us as the bus drove off. It was the most wonderful experience and such an indication of the kindness of the people in Japan.”
I knew UNE had a great reputation for online learning, and I also wanted to study somewhere I was sure would offer lots of support as well.
Wanting to get over her ‘learning-hump’ of only being able to exchange polite greetings, the full-time teacher decided to study the language online and earn a qualification that could take her career further.
She enrolled in a Diploma of Modern Languages at UNE.
“I knew UNE had a great reputation for online learning, and I also wanted to study somewhere I was sure would offer lots of support as well,” she says.
“I was nervous about going back to university because I was already working full time and with two children, but I wanted a qualification in languages, so that I could teach Japanese and become more conversational in Japanese.
“Though I studied online, the lectures had a focus on listening to and speaking Japanese in small groups with our peers, which helped to overcome the fear of speaking. I was able to study 1-2 units a trimester, which allowed me to enjoy study and continue working and looking after my young family.
“The hard part was that I had to be disciplined – holidays meant catching up on study or lectures, but because I enjoyed the subjects, it was also not a hardship. Also, I hadn’t expected to learn so much about Japanese culture, not just the language. I loved the breadth of subjects!”
After almost two decades of teaching, changing lanes into being a language teacher was refreshing. I have such a love for the language and culture of Japan, that I could really champion the language to our 500 plus students at Lucas Primary School.
The experience proved to be exactly what she needed.
“After completing my Diploma Modern Languages (Japanese), I was able to teach Japanese in my primary school – which was so much fun! After almost two decades of teaching, changing lanes into being a language teacher was refreshing. I have such a love for the language and culture of Japan, that I could really champion the language to our 500 plus students at Lucas Primary School.”
Since studying, Nicole has travelled twice to Japan with her children, and been able to use her much-improved language skills.
Sharing the experiences with her children is all the more special to her since she found out her grandfather had been stationed in Japan with the Australian Navy during the Korean War.
“That makes my children the 4th generation of our family to visit Japan, which I’m proud of.”
Nicole has now put her knowledge of the language to the test, as well as a way to share her “beautiful memories of Kyoto” by writing a novel for middle school, which will be published by Hawkeye Publishing in June.
“’Shifters’ focuses on an Australian girl who travels to Japan and finds herself surrounded by magic and mystery. Each chapter begins with a Japanese word, which is used throughout the book and included in a glossary at the end.
“I hope that it not only exposes children to some Japanese customs and language but also inspires them to become readers and travellers!”
